This invention relates to antenna reflectors, and more particularly to reflectors which are collapsible for storage in a minimum volume prior to deployment in the environment of space. Large antennas intended for use in space must meet several demanding design criteria. They must be lightweight and collapsible to a minimum volume for ease of transport to their ultimate deployed location. They must be strong enough to maintain their deployed shape for maximum efficiency of the reflector surface. The construction of such antennas, particularly, the mechanism by which they are deployed from their minimum volume storage condition, must be simple and reliable, because there is generally no opportunity for on-site repair or maintenance.
A variety of constructions and mechanisms have been devised to achieve these objectives. Some have employed a flexible reflective mesh material for the surface of the antenna, such mesh being supported and shaped by various systems of hinged or flexible booms, arms, or trusses, sometimes supplemented by tension cables. Examples of such prior art include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,913,105, 4,030,102 and 4,030,103.
As the size of such reflectors increases, the complexity of the supporting structure and deployment mechanism tends to increase, with accompanying penalties in weight, cost, and reliability.
An important object of the present invention is to provide an unfurlable mesh reflector suitable for applications requiring large aperture diameter reflectors, even up to the range of forty feet in diameter. It is desirable that such reflector be capable of accommodating both low and high frequency signals and that it have a simple and reliable deployment mechanism, with minimal shock loads created by the deployment sequence.